Stories Out of Place Katy Doncaster

Stories Out Of Place Poems Out Of Place The stories, poems and pavilions made during the time spent at Calke and Clumber come from spending time in the woods, gardens and buildings at both properties. It occurred to me that the people who lived in and around the estates were dependent upon each other, regardless of their economic status.

When the estates declined, all the associated workers left - the farming, housekeeping, attending, cooking, metalworking, gardening, leather working and all the other crafts were no longer needed. But the buildings and grounds largely remain, locked in a time long ago, and the woods continue to grow and to be rich habitats. So does any of it have a purpose any more? I imagined that there are people who live in the woods, rivers, lakes, and trees who could make use of the places that were left, places out of their time, and could make use of what they found there. So the Storytellers, Makers, Firemakers, Watergatherers and Watchers live and work amongst the stories and between the worlds of the outside gardens, woods, water, and the inside grand houses, chapels, stables and glasshouses.

The stories that I read as a child, and then with my own children, influence me and the way I have felt in these places, stories such as Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia, magical stories that flit between our world and one subtly changed by imagining.